Why FM?

Why FM?

I had a go with Excel, Perl, MySQL (too complicated, hired programmer)

I tried Access but am not sure where I can go easily

I remember FM from 1990 and it seemed friendly

Manufacturing company using M2M (horrible SQL database) tracks manhours, inventory, etc

I need to have something easy and something difficult. For one job with 500 widgets

Easy - import tables from excel create relationships, make reports

That data needs to create a MS Project Style Schedule preferably by sucking manhours out of M2M SQL DB or by simply importing, exported excel data

Now add PDA to walk the shop floor and track work in progress, update master schedule, use PDA to track inventory

Receive weekly or daily updated demands from customer via excel file

Immediately update master schedule showing amount of manhours that must be worked and what inventory must be ordered to stay on schedule

Are there canned apps in FM that do this?

Is this a trivial problem or quite complex?

SO is it Access, FM Pro or back to Perl, MYSQL all with excel as the front end?